Column construction



Dec. 16, 1924.

. 1,519,292 F. L. cAsTLEMAN COLUMN CONSTRUCTCN 5 Sheng-sheet 1 fgfzFiled Jan. 19, 1925 F. L. CASTLEMAN COLUMN CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 19.1923 Wzeses:

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z I 664mm; 5 (geni/VAN,

Dec, 16,1924,

F.l CLS11ENMN` COLUMN CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 19, 1925 3 SheerjslSheeb 3ILL- LINE' nesses Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

FRANCIS LEE CASTLEMAN, OF PEN COYD, PENNSYLVANIA.

COLUMN CONSTRUCTION.

Application led January 19, 1923. Serial No. 613,655.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS LEE CASTLE- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Pencoyd, in the county of Montgomery and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inColumn Constructions, of whlch the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to buildin columns and particularly to compound coumns for use in constructing the frameworkof high buildings and similarstructures, and has for its object the provision of a compound column,H-shaped in cross section, wherein the outer faces of the column in adirection parallel to its web are equidistant from each other throughoutthe length of the compound column, or throughout a portion of the lengthof the compound column through a number of successive stories. It alsohas for its object the provision of a compound H-sha ed column whereinthe overall dimension ace to face of the column sections is madeconstant in adjacent, similar columns of varying cross sectional areas.

In high buildings employing compound columns the cross sectional areadecreases from the bottom section upward, because the load on the columnalso 'decreases from the bottom towards the top thereof. Heretofore, ithas been the practice to vary the overall dimension, face to face ofthecover plates of the columns with variations in the cross sectional area,so that, in a direction parallel to its web, the distance between theouter faces of the cover platesof each successive column section upwardis less than that of the preceding section. It also has been thepractice with different loads due to different paneling orconcentrations on upper floors and requiring different areas, toincrease or decrease the dimensions .over the outer faces of the columncover plates in accordance with the sectional area of the column. Thispractice hasbeen due to the fact that in H-shaped columns as heretoforebuilt, the web plates have been of uniform width and the distance backto back of the angles on the edges of the web plates a constantdimension, while the cross sectional areas of the columns differed andthe distance between the outer faces of the cover plates of the columnsvaried in adjacent columns or in adjoining sections of a column or both.

from face of walls and center of column.

If the outer faces of columns for successive floors and adjacentcolumnsare placed in a vertical plane to make the connections of the lwallbeams alike-for adjacent columns and for successive floors, then thecenter of the columnsbecome out of line for adjacent columns and forcolumns at successive floors, land this makes the interior framing tothe columns different for each column, having a different area anddifferent for each successive floor. Such arrangement also leads tocomplication in the location and settin of the columns due to thevariations in co umn centers.

According to my invention a compound column is provided which has auniform dimension over its flanges with varying cross sectional areas indifferent sections of the column. This construction also permits acolumn adjacent to the one shown but having a different area at eachfloor to be constructed with the same distance over the flanges. Thusthe adjacent column may start with the section designated generally bythe numeral 3 on same floor where column ,shown has section 2 and havesection 4 on next iioor, or same floor that column shown has section 3,and so on upfward, both columns having the same distance over the outerfaces ofl the flange angles.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel is a side elevation showing the lengths or column sections of theupper portion of a compound.- column embodylng my invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the lengths or column sections of thelower p01'- tion of such column, being a continuatimi` from the line X-Xof Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section of the column on the line III-'III ofFigure 2.

Fi re 4 is a transverse section on the line V-IV of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a 4transverse section of the column on the line V-V ofFigure 1.

F' re 6 is a transverse section on the line- I-VI of'Figure 1. l

Figure 7 is a plan showing a typical building floor construction usingcompound columns made in accordance with my -invention.

Figure 8 is a similar plan of a building 4floor at a higher elevation inthe height of the building of Figure 7.

Referring nowl to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the numeral 2 in ageneral way designates the lowermost length or section and 3 itslengthwise adjacent section, in a .compound column made in accordancewith my invention. The lower end of the next section 4 rests on theupper end of the section 3 and the lower end of the upper section 5restson and is supported by the upper end of the adjoining section 4. Thejoints at the abutting ends of the transversely divided column sections2, 3, 4 and 5 are joined by means of splice plates 6 in assembling thecompound column.

By reference to Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 ot t e drawings, it willl be seenthat each length or transversely divided section of vthe compound columnis formed of a web plate 7 having pairs of angles which are riveted tothe sides of the web plates at the longitudinal edgesthereof with theop-A positely extending legs of the angles 8 forming anges, to which, inthe sections shown by Figures 3, 4, and 5, cover plates 10 lare riveted.

The web plates 7 of the various sections of the compound columngenerally are of the same thickness and likewise the angles 8 generallywill be of the same size and cross sectional area, in each of theseveral lengths or sections making up the assembled compound column.However, when `found necessary or desirable the thickness of the webplates 7 and the size or thickness of the angles 8, or both size andthickness, may vary, in making the cross sectional area of each columnsection less than that ot' the colunm section immediately below, it.

Each of the column sections 2 3 and 4 is provided with cover plates 10,these lcover lplates as shown extendmg lengthwise from end to end of thesection of which they form part. The cover plates are riveted to theangle members 8 of the column in the old and well understood manner. Thecover'plates 10 are made of varyin thick.- nesses, each section orlength of t e compound column generally having cover plates of lessthickness than that of its lower, abutting section, butin columnsembodying my invention the outer faces of the cover plates on any onecolumn section are in alinement with the outer faces of the cover platesof its abutting column section or sections.

The'uppermost section 5 of the column illustrated .in the drawings isshown 'formed volf a web plate 7 and angles 8, the cover the angles 8 inthe same manner as in the lower sections of the column.

By reference to Figures 1 to 5 it will be seen that the cover plates 10on the section 2 of the columns are generally ot' greater thickness andof greater cross sectional area that those on the column section 3supported by the section 2, shown in Figure 3, andthat the cover platesot' the section 3 are of greater thickness than those on the section. 4of Figure 5. lBy reference to Figures 3 to '6 it also will be seen thatthe web plate 7 of each successive section upwardly of the compoundcolumn is of greater Width than the web plate 7 of the sectionimmediately beneath it and that the angles 8 of each successive columnsection upwardly are stepped outwardly from the angle members o theprecedingc'olumn section.

eference to Figures 7 and 8 will show that although the cross sectionalareas of the column sections illustrated in Figure 7 are eater thanthose of the'column sections i lustrated in Figure 8 the wall beams 11,12 and 13 and 14, the Hoor girders 16 and the lfloor beams 15 of thefloor ot' Figure 7 are of exactly the same length as thecorrespondingmembers on the floor illustrated in Figure 8.

Italso will be seen that the cover )lates 10 on some of the columnsections s own in Figure 7 are of greater thickness 'than others in thisFigure and that the same is true in regard to the columns shown inFigure 8 and, notwithstanding the differences in thickness of the coverplates and cross sectional area that the columns, in a directionparallel to the webs thereof are of the same width, out to out of thecover plates, while the beams framed to these column sections are of thesame length, not only on each floor but, when desired, ma 'be on each ofthe various floors of hig buildings.

Obviously the colunms of `any one floor may be varied in cross section,to care for differences in the loads on the columns, due

to different paneling, and concentrations on a higher floor, while thecolumns are all of the same overall dimension face to face plates in adirection parallel to the side "faces of the web plates is maintainedthe same throughout the entire length of the column, or throughout aseries of stories, thereby eliminating lthe necessity of fillers at thesplices, and providing a` construction in which the floor girders andother parts connecting to the columns for the entire building or for anyde-sired number of 4stories may be of the same length.

Another important advantage is that columns constructed in accordancewith this invention will have the outer faces of the cover plates at aconstant distance from the face oi the Walls, thus simplifying and'facilitating the placing of brick, stone, terra cotta., or othermaterial of which the Walls are made. A further advantage of this columnis that the overalll dimensions of columns constructed in accordancewith this invention will be the same on each Hoor and on successivegroups of floors, which enables the forms for ireproofing to all bealike and facilitates the placing of fireprooing around columns.

lVhile in Figures 1 to 6 a column is shown made up of four abuttinglengths or sections,

in which thedistance face to face of the cover plates is the same inIall of the column sections, it is not to be understood that inconstructing buildings -employing such olumns that the columns need beof the same dimension face to face of the cover plates, in all sectionsof the column. For' example, say in a building having twenty stories, itwill be desirable to make the compound columns for the first ten storiesof the same dimension face to face of the cover plates, and to make thecolumns for the next ten stories smaller, but in which the dimensionface to face of its cover plates will be the same throughout thesections making up such column for the ten stories.

W'hile I have described and illustrated only one specific constructionof column embodying my invention, various other modilied 'constructionsmay be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A compound column comprising transversely divided columnsections, said sections being arranged en'd to end in the erected columnand each section having a web plate with angles on the edges of the webplate and a cover plate secured to each edge of the web plate b saidIangles, the overall dimension of sai column sections, in a planeparallel with the sides of said web plate, being the: same in allsections and the thickness of the cover plates in some sections varyingfrom that of other sections of` the column.

'2. A compound column comprising transversely divided column sections,said sections being arranged end to end in the erected column and eachsection having aweb plate with angles on the edges of the web plate anda cover plate secured toeach edge of the web plate by said angles; theovera-1l dimension of said column sections, in a plane parallel with thesides of saidl web plate, being the same in all sections and the crosssectional area of the cover plates on at least'one section varying fromthat of another section of the column.

3. A compound column comprising transleast one section varying from thatof an.

other section of the column.

4. A compound column comprising transversely divided column sectionsarranged end to end in the erected column, eac-h section having a webplate, angles on the edges of said web plate and acover plate secured toeach edge of the web plate by said angles, the overall dimensions ofsaid sections, `in a plane parallel with the sides of said web.

plate, being the same in all ot 'said sections, and the cross sectionalarea of, the sections decreasing from the lowermost section upward.

5. A compound column comprising transversely divided column sectionsarranged end to end in the erected column, each section having a webplate, angles on the edges of said web plate and a cover-plate securedto each edge of the web plate by said angles, the sections, in aplaneparallel with the sides of said web plates, bein the same in all ofsaid sections and the thlckness of the cover plates decreasing from thelowermost section upward.

In testimony whereof, I have' hereunto signed my name.

FRANCIS LE'E CASTLEMAN.

overall dimension of said'

